Resilient wheel



April 8, 1930- P; MILLER I 1,753,527'

RESILIENT WHEEL l Fild Aug. 1, 1927 5 sheets-sheet 1 April-s,v193o. V f l.. P. MgLLER i y 1,753,527

aEsIL-IENT WHEEL "Filed Augil, 1927 s sheets-sheet 2 gri/vento@ L. P. MILLER RESILIENT WHEEL April 8, 1930.

Filed AugQl, 1927 sheets-sham 5 Lazz/rencePM'ZZe Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STA-'res PATENT NCEE nnsimnn'r WHEEL Application filed Augustl,

My invention relates to resilient wheels and particularly to that class thereof havin deformable treads such as disclosed in. mygPat-- ent No. 1,640,613, the application for which,

Serial No. 169,846, was filed vFebruary 21, 1927. The wheel under consideration consists generally in a pair of spaced disks secured to a suitable hub and having a tread formed of a plurality of alternately arranged wedge members arranged between'the peripheries of the disks and projecting beyond the same, in combination with means for yieldingly forcing the tread block outwardly, said means consisting generally inV an annular series of spring Y elements interposed between the inner ends of the inner wedge blocks and acombined retaining and tension device. Y

The object of my invention is to providein a Wheel of the character under consideration, an improved'construction whereby the same will have a uniform radial resistance throughout its periphery. v A further object of my invention is to providein a wheel as mentioned, i a construction whereby the portions of the 2; spring units which are subjected to the greatest movement shall stand clear 0f the side disks. A further object of my invention is to provide in a wheel of Athe class mentioned, 4means whereby the springunitsare prevented from relative rotation so as to maintain them in` their proper relation to each other and tothe other elements of the device. A further object of my invention is to provide means to prevent creeping of the spring elements circumferentially. A further object of my invention is to provide in a wheel as mentioned a construction v whereby the resiliency of the spring units may be varied.4 A further obj ect of my invention is to provide in a wheel of the class mentioned a tension regulating' device for regulating thedegree of resiliency of the wheel, and which will 'vary the tension uniformly throughout theV Vcircumference of the wheel., A further object ofjmy invention is to provide, in a wheel having a periphery consisting of opposed wedge members with lsprings for forcing the .same outwardly, a construction whereby only a fractionof the radial movement of the tread blocks vwill be imparted to the spring elements. A further-object of my 1927.` serial No'. 209,736.

inventionis to provide a wheel of such construction that it will readily work itself-out ofy mud l or mire instead of digging itself in as is common with ordinary traction wheels. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Vlith these objects in view my invention consists generally in a wheel comprising a pair of disks fixed to a suitable hub, a tread formed of a plurality of alternately arranged wedge blocks arranged between the outer edges of said disks andprojecting beyond the same, a flexible ring engaging the inner-ends of said blocks and inner .tension rings and a series of circular-split springringsj interposed between said flexible rings andV said tension ring. Myinvention'further consists ina de-4 vice as mentioned in whichthe flexible ring which engages the inner ends of the blocks is vformed of overlapping sections. My invention further consists in afdevice as mentioned 7 in which each of the said split-spring` rings is formed integrally with one of the flexible ring sections, wherebyV resiliency is imparted to said flexible ring, and whereby rotation of the circular split rings isprevented. My invention further vconsists in an improved adjusting mechanism for the inner tension ring. whereby uniform resiliency 'is maintained throughout the periphery ofthe device at all adjustments. My `invention further consists in awheel as mentioned in which each of the outer tread blocks is provided'with'lugs for limiting the outward'movement thereof, the disks being formed with suitably radially disposed Vapertures to receive the lugs, and annular cover plates enclosing the-apertured portion of the'disk to exclude foreign matter and improve the appearance of the wheel. My invention further consists in av device` asl mentionedin which the peripheral portions of the disks adjacent the tread blocks and I outer e portions ofthe spring members arespaced from the plane ofthe body portions of the disk, thereby increasing the ,width vof the tread of the wheel and alsomaintaining the portions ofthesprlng rings subjected to the v'reatestmovement out of contactV with thev disks. Myinvention further consists in various details of construction-and'arrangements of parts all as willbe fully described herem- Y after and particularly pointed out in theY claims.

My invention will bemore readily under-` illustrated upon an enlarged scale,`

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view onthe line 3 8 of Fig. 1, y

Fig. 4 is a detail elevationalview ofthe outf er face of the wheel at the hub, illustrating a portion of the tension adjusting device, i

Fig. y5 is l'asectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, V"the lock pin retaining spring being lifted, Y

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a portion of a modified forinof one of the spring elements,

Fig. 7 is a plan-view of a modified form of one of the -inner wedge blocks, illustrated upon'a further enlarged scale, and

Fig. 8 is a section on *the lineS-S of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings 1 indicates ali-ub of -a wheel preferably formed 'witha pair of integral flanges 242 towhich are secured disks 3-3 forming the web of the wheel.v The inner edges of thedisks 3 are reinforced by annular plates 4, riveted thereto as indicated at5. The reinforced'edgesof the disks are secured to the hubslby bolts 6. rhese boltsextend through the reinforced edges of both disks 'and the corresponding flanges 2, and a spacing sleeve 7 is provided on `the boltl between the flanges 2. Disks 3 are formed with outwardly offset portions 8 connected to the body portions 3 by inclined annular portions 9, for a purpose hereinafter described. The peripheralxedges of the disk are formed with annular. 'beads 10v presenting inwardly inclined faces 11. Y

Arranged Ybetween the peripheries of the disks and projecting beyond the saine, is a series of alternately arranged wedge blocks 12 and 18, the'outer tread blocks 12 are inwardly tapered' and at their inner ends are formed with -laterally vprojecting lugs 14 which engage in substantially radially disposed apertures 15v formed in the portions'S of the disks. The apertures 15 are preferably loval to perinit -a limited peripheral movement 'of Vthe lugs 14 as well as radial movement, but the outer ends "of the Sides converge to form a definite seat for the' lugs.l The edges of the oval apertures are formed with reinforcing beads 16 presenting inwardly beveled Vfaces 17, and the underfaces of the lugs 14 are und ercut as at 18 to 'engage said"faces- This not only forms a seat for properly position-v ing the outer blocks 12, rwhen theblocks are not displaced Vby pressure, but also provides a construction whereby the :lugs of the normally positioned blocks 12 will tend -toV prevent spreading of the peripheries of the disks.

The blocks 18 are outwardly tapered forming inclined walls 19 which frictionally engages the inwardly inclined walls 20 of the blocks 12. At their inner ends the edges of the blocks are cut away as indicated at 21 to preventinterferencen of said bloc is with eachother when subjected to excessive inward ino-vement. It will be noted that the blocks 13 extend inwardly beyond the inner enes of the blocks 12. Bythis construction only a portion of the inward movement of the blocks 12 is imparted to the spring members as, when ablock 12 moves inwardly, it does not itself engage the spring elements but compresses the same only through the adjacent blocks 13. These, due to .movement on the inclined faces 20,-move inwardly only a fractionr Of the distanceth'atthe' blocks l2 move. l v

Means are provided foryieldably forcing the blocks outwardly. This comprises an outer flexible ring22, an inner tension ring 23, 'and Va series of split spring rings interposedv between the same. greater and more uniform flexibility and resiliency to the. device, the outer ring 22 is formed of apluralityof overlapping sections 25 each of which 1s et sufficient length to overhe a Vplurality of blocks .13. In practiceV I prefer toform each of the split rings 24 in# .L L D tegral with one of the fringsections 25 and have so illust-rated it Vin the drawings. To this end, one of the ends "of the split ring 24 terminates *inl the'elongated extension 25,

which constitutes 1on'ejof the outer ring sec-V tiens. rl`he rings 24 are arranged in engagement with each other and this maintains the sections 25 in proper relation to each other.; and the extension sections25 prevent .rotation of the rin-gs 24. vln order to vary the resilien'cy of this portion Vof the device each ofthe ring 'members 24-25may1b'eformed of a plurality of similarly-nested members 26, as illustrated in Fig. Gf'of thedrawings. This provides a construction whereby it is only necessary Vto'.manufacture aV single gauge and grade of spring members 24j-'25 as in assembling thisportion `of the wheel it may be va-A ried to suit the 'weight of the vehicle with y which the wheel'is vto 'be used by merely nesting-ajsuflicient number'of said members. f

The blocks'12eand 13 are slidably mounted between the offset portions -8 'of the disks, and l the 4outer portionsV of the springs 24-25 extend into this offset portion. By this arrangeinent the portions of the springs whichare subjected to the greatest'movement areposi-V tioned so-that they cannot come -in contact.

itsresulting wear vand noise.' v f Impinging against the rings 24-is the inner tension ring 23. This is asplit ring of suflicient resiliency to exertfthe desired tension upon the springs v24; and is equipped with imwith the disks, thereby avoiding friction with In order to give i los proved means for varying the tension thereof. To this end, kthe ends of the ring are overlapped a Considerable distance and each end the two guide rollers 30, then over the other guide roller 28, and then through the space between the arms 32 of the arbor and connected to a link 34 engaging about the member 33 between the guide rollers 30. Rotation of therarbor will contract or permit expansion of the ring 23 to vary the tension as desired. One end of the arbor 31 is mounted in suitable bearings 35 while the other end is preferably squared as at 36 and lits within a rotary head 37. The head 37 is formed with a wrench hold 38 and an annular flange 39 having a series of apertures 40. 41 indicates a lock pin extending through the adjacent portion of the wheel and adapted to engage in one of the apertures 40 to hold the tensioning device in adjusted position. 42 indicates a lock pin retaining spring provided with jaws 43 to engage the head of the lock pinto hold the pin in operative position. The spring 42 may be attached to the device by oneof the rivets 5 and may be turned to one side as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 when it is desired to remove the pin 41 for readjusting the ring 23. 44 indicates spring clips fixed to the yoke 29 and engaging the adjacent rings 24 to prevent the rings from creeping.

Sometimes, should one of the blocks 12 be forced inwardly to an excessive degree as by coming in contact with a large pointed stone, the member 22 may be slightly lifted from the ends of the nearby blocks 13, which have not been moved out of position by the general flexing of the tread. To retain these blocks in their proper positions at such times thereby maintaining a uniform resiliency of the wheel and avoiding unnecessary noise, the inner blocks may be constructed as illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. As shown therein, each block is provided with a centrally disposed recess 45 to receive a quick acting spring 46 and a telescoping plunger 47, preferably having a rounded head 48 to engage the members 22. Should, at any time, the members 22 be lifted from the ends of the block 13 the plunger 47 willV follow the 1nembers 22, remain in contact therewith, and prevent displacement and undue noises. l

In order to cover the apertures 15 and prevent foreign matter from entering the wheel through the same, I provide suitable annular 'cover plates 49 whichare held in place by bolts 50, the heads of which are countersunk in the portions Stof the disks. To form a smooth outer surface to'thewheel, the cover kplates 49 are countersunk asiat 51 to receive the nuts of thebolts 50. These cover plates are arched in cross section andare formed with inner flanges '52 adaptedto snuglyengage theinclined port-ions 9'ofthe disks, and with outer peripheral edges 53 which engage theinclinedfaces 1l of thebeads 10. Itis edges of said disksand forming a deforml' able tread, a flexible ring engaging 'thelinner ends of said blocks, a tensionring-and aseries of split rings interposed between said flexi- A,ble-ring and said tension ring, said flexible ring being formed of integral extensions of said split rings and freely slidable one on the other, substantially as described. y

` 2. A wheelV comprising a pai-rofdisks, a series of alternately arrangedwedge yblocks arranged between the edges of said disks and forming a deformable tread, an innerV tension ring, a plurality of split rings ysurrounding said tension ring,.tbe outer ends of said split rings being formed with extensions together constituting a flexible ring impinging against the inner ends of said blocks`,'and the exten` sions on the split rings being freely slidable one onthe other and of sufcient length to extend across a plurality of blocks and to overlap the extension of the next adjacent ring, substantially als described. y

3.A wheelcomprising a pair of disks, a series of alternately karranged movable blocks between the outer edges of said disks, the inwardly tapered blocks beingprovided with lugs, said disks being provided with substan-4 tially radially disposed oval apertures to re,- ceive saidV lugs and permit limited peripheral `obvious that by tighteningl thelboltsO the movement as well as radial movement', and i outer peripheral portions being laterally of` set, a series of oppositely disposed wedge shaped blocks arranged between the offset portionsof said disks, certain of said blocks being provided with laterally extending lugs and the adjacent portions of `the disks being provided WithV substantially Vradially -disposed oval apertures to receive-thelugs land permit limited peripheral movement as Well as radial movement and means'eX'erti-ng,yielding pressure on Said'b'lOCkS, substantially as described. Y

7. A Wheel comprising a pair of disks, a Series of alternately arranged Wedge shaped blocks arranged between the'peripheriesy of said disks, means limiting the outward movement of said blocks, a flexible ring exerting yielding vpressure on the inner ends yof said blocksand certain of lsaidblocks being provided With spring pressed plungers adapted to engage said ring, substantially as described.

8. .A Wheel vcomprising a pair of disks a se- Y ries of alternately arranged wedge Vshaped blocks arranged between the peripheries of said disks and forming a deformable tread and means` for exerting yielding pressure on said blocks, said means including split ten-v sion ring, yokes on the ends of said tension y ring and a yoke on said tension ring at sub stantially midway between the yokes Von the ends thereof, said yokes being provided with guides,ran arbor, a single flexible member threaded through the guides on said yokes and connected to saidarbor and means for retaining said arbor in adjusted position, substantially as described.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8 in which Y the arbor is provided With a Wrench hold and a perforated disk, and aretaining pin adapted to engage in a perforation in said disk to hold the device in adjusted position, substantially as described.

' t In testimony whereof I have signed my r; name to this specification.

LAWRENCE PAXToN MiLLER. 

